Let’s Get Social!

All too often, we think of the blog that we write for as “our” blog. And, it is. We, as the website owner, have control of the blog. We created it, we operate it, we publish posts on the blog. It is, in fact, ours.

In reality, however, “our” blog shouldn’t be entirely about us. It’s more like a partnership where we have the controlling interest, but our readers have an almost-equal say. After all, if they don’t want to read the posts we add to our blogs, we’ll quickly find ourselves in a deserted area of the Internet filled with virtual tumbleweeds.[Read more…]

Recently I had the pleasure of chatting with Karon Thackston, a copywriting and SEO (search engine optimization) expert. After attending her presentations on keyword research at a Niche Affiliate Marketing System Workshop (NAMS), I wanted to get share some of her expertise with my community. Karon is straight-forward, down to earth and has very deep knowledge about how to write for the web – and that includes blog posts. You can listen to the 23 minute audio interview and read the complete transcript below. Please post your questions for Karon in the comments and I'll invite her to swing by and respond.

Writing Blog Posts That Captivate – Interview with Karon Thackston

Denise: If there are only a couple of things you learn from me, the first is if your business can’t be found on the web, then it’s like you don’t exist.

Second, a business blog is one of the best ways to create a presence on the web so you can be found by your ideal customer or client.

Today I’m talking with an expert in copywriting and search engine optimization, both of which are critical elements to achieve findability on the web. My colleague, Karon Thackston, has owned her full time copywriting agency since 1999. She has published 5 books including The Step by Step Copywriting Course, Writing With Keywords, Effective Websites for Small Businesses, Ecommerce Copywriting, and Article Marketing: The Right Way to Build More Links.

Karon also teaches courses on copywriting and SEO. I’ve attended a couple of the presentations on keyword research. Believe me, this woman knows her stuff. You can find Karon on the web at www.marketingwords.com.

Today it’s my pleasure to spend a few minutes with Karon to get some of her secrets about how to create blog posts that captivate and convert. Thanks for joining me Karon.

Karon: Hey, it’s my pleasure. I have to say, you are one of my mentors and it’s always great hanging out with you at the NAMS event, when we get some time. I’m constantly following your trail online because you’re everywhere.

Denise: That’s my mantra. I want to be seen everywhere. That’s how you captivate and convert people, right?

Karon: That’s exactly right.

Denise: Let’s just jump in. When it comes to blogging, creating content, the blog post, is really the most essential part. Otherwise, without the content you don’t really have a blog, right?

Karon: Yes. Exactly.

Denise: It doesn’t really matter how pretty your design is, if the content is not great, people don’t stick around. Of course, in my experience, that’s where a lot of professionals run into a challenge-around the content. How do you create content? What should be in the content? How do I get people to read my content?

What are the first steps you recommend for getting started with a content plan for a blog?